Darken Rahl Versus Lighten Rahl
by tinylexie
Summary: Darken Rahl is passing judgment on several of his subjects when another Darken Rahl suddenly shows up, a drastically different Darken Rahl. Set at some random point in Season 1.


"I have listened to the evidence," Darken Rahl spoke in a cold, deadly voice, "and as punishment for your crime of treason against not only me but all of D'hara, I say that you will die by having your intestines slowly pulled out." Darken Rahl smiled sadistically at the man on his knees before him, the man who had once beamed with confidence. Not anymore. The man was about ready to pop out of his skin with the great fear and terror that had overcome him. The man was too focused on Darken Rahl's face to pay any attention to the blond-haired Mord-Sith who had used her Agiel to force him to his knees.

"I've heard that it's a very painful way to die," Darken Rahl purred in delight, "but I despise traitors." Rahl directed his attention to the Mord-Sith. "I will give you the honor of carrying out my judgment, Denna."

"With pleasure, my lord," Denna, cold, cruel Denna, smiled just as sadistically as her master. She tried to pull the traitor to his feet, but he was so terrified that he hung limp in Denna's grasp. She hit him once across the face with her gloved hand. Hard. Then, smiling with a delight to match Darken Rahl's, Denna dragged the man out the throne room.

"Next!" Darken Rahl called out in a casual voice, as if he had not just sentenced a man to a painful death.

Another blond-haired Mord-Sith, Cara, fiery, sarcastic, always speak her mind Cara, dragged in another man, another shaking, trembling man.

"What is this man charged with, Cara?" Darken Rahl asked seductively, drawing out the "r" in Cara's name like he always did. Cara smiled at her master. No one said her name as sexily as Darken Rahl did.

"I personally caught this man stealing bread from a woman, a widow from what I've heard," Cara purred casually, her voice not at all matching the dangerous gleam in her eyes.

"I have no tolerance for thieves," Darken Rahl spoke to the man. "I say you deserve to be be-"

"I say you should find out why this man stole in the first place," Darken Rahl's voice interrupted.

Darken Rahl leapt up from his throne, the train of his blood red royal robe cascading onto the floor below. Cara spun around in bewilderment. The thief was too terrified to notice anything that was going on. He was in a state of shock.

To Darken Rahl's and Cara's shock, another Darken Rahl was walking towards the throne. This Darken Rahl was wearing a pure white robe.

"Look at the man," the white robed Darken Rahl continued, his hand gesturing towards the petrified thief. "He looks starved. The food supply is probably low again. You really should check that out."

"Who in the name of the Keeper are you?" the red robed Darken Rahl asked in a voice full of implied threat.

"I'm a part of you, my lord," the other Darken Rahl answered. "I'm Lighten Rahl."

"I think I would know if you were a part of me," Darken Rahl replied, "and I can say with complete certainty that you are not."

"Let me assure you that I am indeed a part of you," Lighten Rahl responded. "You've just kept me buried deep down inside your heart for all these years."

"Lord Rahl does not have a heart," Cara suddenly broke in. "To have a heart is a weakness, and the Lord Rahl is never weak."

"I'm glad to see that there is at least one person in this room who has learned their lessons well," Darken Rahl spoke. "What do you want, imposter?"

"Your people would love you more if you showed that you were capable of mercy," Lighten Rahl answered.

"I don't want anyone's love," Darken Rahl snarled. "Love is a weakness."

"How much longer will you choose to live in denial?" Lighten Rahl asked sadly.

"Cara, kill this imposter," Darken Rahl ordered.

"With pleasure, my lord," Cara replied. She released her grip on the thief and began to walk towards the white robed version of her master, her Agiel in hand and ready to deliver pain.

"Will you really kill your Lord Rahl, Cara?" Lighten asked. Cara gritted her teeth. This Darken Rahl spoke her name just as seductively as the other Darken Rahl.

"You're not my lord," Cara snapped.

"Would I be your lord if I was to take the throne?" Lighten Rahl asked in an innocent voice. Then, faster than the eye could blink, he ran towards the throne. He caught Darken Rahl by surprise, which was something that did not happen often.

Lighten Rahl pushed Darken Rahl out his way. Darken Rahl landed on the floor on his buttocks in a rather undignified manner, and Darken Rahl never did anything in an undignified manner.

Lighten Rahl sat down on the throne, his white robe billowing slightly. "Put up your Agiel, Cara," he commanded. Cara stared at him for a moment before obeying.

"Cara," Darken Rahl cried out in shock and in anger from his undignified position on the floor. Cara ignored him. Her eyes were focused only on Lighten Rahl, whose attention was now fixed on the thief.

"Look into my eyes," Lighten Rahl ordered the thief in voice that held both authority and warmth. The man finally snapped out his trance and looked into Lighten's eyes.

"I see that you are an honest man," Lighten Rahl spoke, "who stole only because he had been oppressed and did not have the money to buy food for himself or for his family. There will be no punishment."

"Thank you, Lord Rahl," the man spoke with a bright smile on his face. "You are most generous, most kind."

"As my people serve me, so I also serve them," Lighten Rahl replied.

"That is nonsense," Darken Rahl growled.

"No, that is mercy," Lighten responded, "and mercy is never nonsense."

"Mercy is a weakness."

"I pity you, Darken Rahl," Lighten said sadly. "You have denied your humanity for so long that you have allowed yourself to become a monster."

Darken Rahl suddenly roared in anger as he leapt to his feet. This time it was Lighten Rahl who was caught by surprise. Before Lighten could blink, he was the one on the floor on his buttocks in a rather undignified manner. Darken, meanwhile, sat back down on his throne.

"My imposter's judgment will stand," Darken Rahl spoke to the thief, "but I am now the one sitting on the Lord Rahl throne. Leave before I change my mind." The thief rushed out the room faster than lightening could strike.

"Who's next?" Darken Rahl called out in an impatient voice.

As the day passed, Darken and Lighten kept on pushing the other off the throne and onto the floor below. Some subjects had their lives spared, while others were beheaded. It depended on which Rahl was currently sitting on the throne. To put it mildly, Darken and Lighten quickly became annoyed with the other. Darken took to calling Lighten a "pussy," while Lighten took to calling his not better side "a cold, hard, heartless, merciless, demonic monster." Cara, not knowing what to think or which Lord Rahl to support, had long ago left the room.

The sun was starting to set when the Seeker himself was brought in for judgment. His eyes went wide in bewilderment. Darken and Lighten had finally come to a truce of sorts. After hours of alternating between the throne and the floor, the two Rahls had finally decided that enough was enough. They had decided that they would try to mix mercy with justice. Of course, this meant that both of them had to be sitting on the Lord Rahl throne. Neither had wanted to sit on the other's lap, so Darken had used magic to enlarge the throne just enough for them to sit side by side.

"Zedd and Kahlan never said anything about there being two of you to kill," Richard cried in despair. Wasn't one Darken Rahl enough to deal with? Now there was two that he was going to have to contend with.

"This is the Seeker, my lord," Egremont spoke.

"The Seeker!" Darken exclaimed, his head popping up.

"Yes, my lord," Egremont confirmed.

Quicker than the eye could blink, Darken literally threw Lighten off the throne. Lighten slid into the wall so hard that he was knocked unconscious. At that moment, a black-haired Mord-Sith, Garen, obsessed with Darken Rahl Garen, walked into the room.

"Deal with my pussy imposter, Garen," Darken Rahl ordered. Garen smiled at him with wicked delight before grabbing Lighten's limp body and dragging him out the room.

Darken completely pushed Lighten out his mind as he grinned wickedly at the Seeker. Richard gulped. Then, Lord Darken Rahl, the true Master of D'hara, proclaimed in a cheerful voice, "Off with the Seeker's head!"


End file.
